Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CSA?
A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a locally based economic model of agriculture and food distribution that typically allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. CSA members pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they periodically receive shares of produce. Thus, growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production.
Why choose a CSA over a meal kit service?
Meal kits have been growing in popularity for the past few years because of their convenience. While they emphasize "local" sourcing, they are actually put together in central packing locations, so "local" is really a relative term. Plus, they use tons of packaging and are not necessarily organic. With our CSA, everything you get has been grown about 100 miles away from Williamsburg in the Hudson Valley. It is brought to us by the farmer directly, which means that the farmer earns all of the income from their produce, instead of selling to a middleman. You won't get an individually wrapped tablespoon of butter or a teeny plastic bottle of cooking oil, but you will get better, fresher food! Check out our recipe blog if you want some ideas for what you can make with your share, or google "CSA share recipes" for loads of ideas.
Why am I signing up now if I don't get any food until June?
The CSA model provides important upfront capital to the farmer. They have to plan (and pay for) their growing season months before they get to harvest. Your investment pays for things like seeds, farm labor, fertilizer and more. It also helps the farmer plan for how much food to grow based on how many CSA members have signed up. Signing up early is the best way to signal that you support small-scale organic farming.
What if I can’t pick up my share?
Members are responsible for picking up their share each week. This year we have FOUR options if you are going to be out of town during a pick up.
1. Ask a friend to pick it up for you. Maybe even let them keep a head of lettuce as a thank you.
2. Swap pick ups with another member. You can communicate with other members via our Facebook page HERE. When you pick up the share, just let the volunteer know the name of the person who should be picking up that day. There is no need to notify us in advance.
3. You can reschedule your pickup for another day, within the same week, at any of the Hearty Roots Brooklyn CSA locations (East Williamsburg, Bayridge and Greenwood Heights). There are a few restrictions:
Pickups must remain within the same week (if you have a Wednesday pickup, you can change to the following Saturday. If you have a Saturday pickup, you can change to the Wednesday before)
Changes can be made directly in the GrownBy website in the “Order” tab
Changes MUST be made by the Friday before for Wednesday pickups or the Monday before for Saturday pickups. No exceptions.
4. You can put up to 2 weeks “on vacation” during the season. This means that you would not pick up a share on those 1 - 2 weeks and the cost of the skipped shares will go towards next season. This change can also be made in the GrownBy website in the “Order” tab.
What do you do with any food left over at the end of a shift?
We donate all leftover food to the Cooper Park Houses Fridge at 79 Kingsland Ave. This is a community fridge set up by the North Brooklyn Mutual Aid and is a great source of free food for our neighbors in need! We are so glad to partner with them.
How can I get more involved?
This question makes our hearts flutter. The all-volunteer core group is responsible for running pick ups, coordinating with all of our food vendors, answering emails, advertising to recruit new CSA members and posting on social media. In short, we do everything besides grow the food. We are open to any help our members want to provide, whether it's running pick ups, graphic design, social media, web design etc. Just send us an email and let us know what you can offer!
I don’t like radishes. Can I swap for another vegetable this week?
Utilize our swap box! Members can exchange items with each other, so you can leave the radishes behind and go home with extra fennel (or whatever). We donate any food left over at the end of each pick up.
What if I can’t afford to pay the full amount?
Some subsidized vegetable shares are available for those that would like to be part of the CSA but cannot afford to without assistance. Please email us at eastwilliamsburgcsa@gmail.com to learn more about these options.
The sign-up system looks different this year. How do I sign up?
1. Go to our new website here
2. You must first select a vegetable share (either Full Share, A Week or B Week):
3. All available add-on shares will be visible. You’ll add them on the next screen! First click “Add to cart”
4. Pick your Pickup Location (make sure to choose East Williamsburg!) and your pickup day (either Wednesday or Saturday)
5. Now’s your chance to add eggs or fruit! Click to add either, or both, to your cart and click “Continue”.
6. Review your order - please make sure to check the calendar for dates and pickup location! When you’re ready, click “Continue”
7. Before payment, you will need to create an account with GrownBy. It's easy!